Poly(ε-caprolactone) Microfiber Meshes for Repeated Oil Retrieval.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Accidental oil spills pose significant environmental threats.
• Effective oil spill remediation requires efficient and selective sorbent materials.
• There is a growing need for biodegradable synthetic sorbents that balance performance and environmental impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microfiber meshes as biodegradable oil sorbents.
• To assess the oil selectivity, absorption capacity, and reusability of PCL meshes in simulated oil spill scenarios.
• To investigate the performance of PCL meshes with different oil types and water conditions, including emulsions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of non-woven poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) microfiber meshes via electrospinning.
• Testing oil selectivity and absorption capacity using simulated oil spills in deionized water and artificial seawater.
• Evaluating sorbent reusability through multiple oil absorption and vacuum-assisted retrieval cycles.
• Assessing performance with crude oil, mechanical pump oil, and surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions.

Main Results:

• PCL meshes demonstrated >99.5% oil selectivity (oil over water) and high oil absorption capacities (~10 g/g).
• Oil absorption was identified as a volumetrically driven process.
• Consistent oil selectivity and absorption capacity were observed over multiple reuse cycles.
• Effective oil absorption was maintained even when dealing with surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions.

Conclusions:

• Electrospun PCL microfiber meshes are effective, reusable, and biodegradable oil sorbents.
• These materials offer a promising solution for selective oil recovery from spills in diverse aquatic environments.
• The study highlights the importance of balancing porosity and mechanical integrity in developing sustainable oil spill remediation technologies.